Fireworks between Ken Cuccinelli, Terry McAuliffe

At the same time, Cuccinelli also looked to soften his image, referencing on several occasions his commitment to activities including volunteering at homeless shelters, coaching kids’ sports, advocating for the mentally ill and taking on sexual assault.

But throughout the debate, McAuliffe alleged that Cuccinelli has promised in previous campaigns to focus on a variety of policies, but has always pivoted back to social issues once in office.

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“So he says one thing, does something else,” the Democrat said. ” Ken, you are a true Trojan horse of Virginia politics. You come in pretending to be one thing, and really are something else.”

He dismissed Cuccinelli’s emphasis on economic issues as just a cover for his social issues priorities and charged that Cuccinelli’s stances on social issues would scare businesses away.

“He can stand up here and talk about jobs, transportation,” McAuliffe said. “He’s done nothing but hurt jobs, try to stop transportation and led a very social ideological agenda against women’s health and gay Virginians.”

Cuccinelli himself didn’t walk back any of his conservative positions on social issues.

“My personal beliefs about the personal challenges of homosexuality haven’t changed,” he said at one point. “What I want to do as governor is create an environment, including an economic environment, where every Virginian has the opportunity to succeed.”

At times, he went on offense.

“The notion that because I believe marriage ought to be protected, because I believe life begins at conception — just like hundreds of thousands of independents and Democrats — this isn’t just me, it isn’t just Repulicans,” he said. “There are lots of Virginians, millions, perhaps, of Virginians, who share my sincerely held beliefs.”

Cuccinelli slammed McAuliffe’s assertion that businesses won’t locate in the state because of Cuccinelli’s views on those subjects.

The “notion that this somehow chases businesses out of Virginia would be laughable if it weren’t so utterly offensive,” he said. “If it weren’t so utterly, completely offensive.”

The two clashed on a range of other policy issues including transportation and the health care law. They may have some common ground on immigration — Cuccinelli didn’t take a position on a pathway to citizenship; McAuliffe is supportive of comprehensive reform — but the attorney general still jabbed at the Democrat on that issue, too.

He suggested that McAuliffe took advantage of a provision in immigration law to raise capital for GreenTech, but said it’s impossible to know because the candidate won’t release his full tax returns.

“I would say this is an issue where my opponent, one of the few, where he actually has policy experience,” Cuccinelli said, drawing links between immigration policies and McAuliffe’s business dealings. “It’d be nice to see what all that looks like. But we’re not getting a chance to see what all that looks like because he won’t release his tax returns, they won’t talk about this, they’re hiding this aspect of immigration law that my opponent has a lot of experience with.”

McAuliffe responded, “Sort of sad, we could have ended on a high note” with some agreement, “but it is what it is,” he added, moving on to call for an immigration deal.

The question of tax returns has been another sticking point in the campaign, with McAuliffe releasing only summaries of those statements covering a shorter span of time than the tax returns Cuccinelli has put forth.

“What have you got to hide?” Cuccinelli said on that subject. “Release your tax returns.”

The debate, at a posh resort in southwestern Virginia, was hosted by the Virginia Bar Association. Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour served as moderator.